Sauron's Ransom
Instant
Card text
Choose an opponent. They look at the top four cards of your library and separate them into a face-down pile and a face-up pile. Put one pile into your hand and the other into your graveyard. The Ring tempts you.
"He was dear to you, I see. And now he shall endure the slow torment of years."
Showing The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth#225
Price
0.59 $
Foil 0.90 $
16 printings · up to 3.45 $
Daily estimate from Scryfall, not a shop quote.
Sauron's Ransom rulings
You choose just one opponent to look at the top four cards of your library and put them into piles. Other players can't look, but they may attempt to offer advice without knowing what cards are there. The player who looks may choose what information to share with others if that player wants advice on how to split the cards, but that player doesn't have to share any information at all.
You don't have to reveal the cards in the face-down pile if you put it into your hand.
The opponent may split the cards into one pile of four and one pile of zero. The pile of four cards could be the face-up pile or the face-down pile.
As the Ring tempts you, you get an emblem named The Ring if you don't have one. Then your emblem gains its next ability and you choose a creature you control to become (or remain) your Ring-bearer.
The Ring can tempt you even if you don't control a creature. In this case, abilities that trigger "whenever the Ring tempts you" will still trigger.
If the creature you choose as your Ring-bearer was already your Ring-bearer, that still counts as choosing that creature as your Ring-bearer for the purpose of abilities that trigger "whenever you choose a creature as your Ring-bearer" or abilities that care about which creature was chosen as your Ring-bearer.
The Ring gains its abilities in order from top to bottom. Once it gains an ability, it has that ability for the rest of the game.
Each time the Ring tempts you, you must choose a creature if you control one.
Each player can have only one emblem named The Ring and only one Ring-bearer at a time.
Some spells and abilities that cause the Ring to tempt you may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. The Ring won't tempt you.
Sauron's Ransom format legality
Constructed
- StandardNot legal
- PioneerNot legal
- ModernLegal
- Future StandardNot legal
Eternal
- LegacyLegal
- VintageLegal
- PauperNot legal
- PremodernNot legal
- Old SchoolNot legal
- Penny DreadfulLegal
Commander
- CommanderLegal
- OathbreakerLegal
- Pauper CommanderNot legal
- Duel CommanderLegal
- PreDHNot legal
Arena & online
- HistoricLegal
- TimelessLegal
- AlchemyNot legal
- GladiatorLegal
- BrawlLegal
- Standard BrawlNot legal
- Competitive BrawlLegal
Other
- TLRLegal
All printings of Sauron's Ransom 16
Cards similar to Sauron's Ransom
Forbidden AlchemyInstant
PerplexInstant
RecoilInstant
UndermineInstant
Psychic StrikeInstant
Soul ManipulationInstant
Essence VortexInstant
Dihada's PloyInstant
Weave the NightmareInstant
Frantic SearchInstant
Show 20 more similar cards
AfflictInstant
Stroke of GeniusInstant
Force of NegationInstant
MurderInstant
Stench of DecayInstant
Brazen Borrower // Petty Theft//
Creature — Faerie Rogue // Instant — Adventure
DepowerInstant
Geistlight SnareInstant
Gumdrop Poisoner // Tempt with Treats//
Creature — Human Warlock // Instant — Adventure
ExcludeInstant
ExpungeInstant
Bloodline CullingInstant
Ojutai's BreathInstant
Ethereal GraspInstant
Saruman's TrickeryInstant
Titan's PresenceInstant
RepulseInstant
Polymorphist's JestInstant
DissipateInstant
CancelInstant